Will Still could plot a shock raid on Sunderland for one of their star players this summer.
Will Still was heavily linked with the Sunderland job before the Black Cats eventually hired Regis Le Bris as their new head coach in June.
Still, 31, was initially linked with the Sunderland job after Tony Mowbray was sacked in December last year.
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus was unwilling to pay what was reported to be a £4million compensation fee for Still, who was at Reims at the time.
Still left Reims at the end of the season and reports claimed that he had agreed to become the next Sunderland manager, before pulling out of contention, and soon after taking charge of Ligue 1 side RC Lens.
But Still could now plot a summer transfer raid on Sunderland, in what would be a very controversial transfer for both Still and perhaps for the player in question too.
Will Still wants to sign Sunderland star Dan Ballard at RC Lens
Journalist Michael Graham has revealed on X that Sunderland and Northern Ireland centre-back Dan Ballard is a ‘major summer target’ for Still’s RC Lens outfit.
Former Arsenal man Ballard, 24, featured 43 times in the Championship last season and scored three goals.
He played a key role for the Black Cats who ultimately had a disappointing season, finishing the campaign in 16th place of the table.
Ballard has been linked with several Premier League teams since his 2022 move to the Stadium of Light, with West Ham among those previously linked.
Why Sunderland man Dan Ballard may think twice about linking up with Will Still
There’s no doubting that Still remains a very exciting prospect in management, and that Lens seems like a very good move for him.
But his actions in the Sunderland manager race and his previous actions at Reims, which caused a lot of unrest behind the scenes, may speak volumes about his temperament.
Ballard is loved by Sunderland fans and Le Bris surely has big plans for the defender going forward.
Swapping that to join a quite controversial Still at RC Lens would surely come with its risks; not to mention the fact that it’s a whole new league and a whole different style of football.
So staying in England and at Sunderland where he’s making very good progress seems like the best bet for Ballard at this moment in time.
That said, every player has a price, and if RC Lens put down what would surely need to be a sizeable sum then Ballard could well be on his way to Lens.